Issue no. 93, 1st of November 2014. Bienvenido a todos and welcome to the November edition. The wether during October has been brilliant. Blue skies and warm temperatures, often in the low 30’s. However the evenings are now beginning to get much cooler. So, if you are coming over soon, bring that cardigan or jumper. What has also been noticeable during October is the abundance of flies. After more than 10 years on the Orihuela Costa I cannot recall seeing so many and they have often been very annoying. Some people also seem to attract the midges and mosquito and their bites, while others remain untouched. There has been an increase in bites from the Tiger mosquito - Aedes albopictus, photo. These can be very painful and are usually accompanied by large swollen areas of flesh. It is important that you check around your property and throw out any stagnant water, where these pests can breed. With a whole raft of elections due next year, the politicians are already preparing their ground work and handing out promises like sweets at fiestas. PM Rajoy gave a speech to the PP party faithful in Murcia last Sunday. It made me laugh! He referred to the corruption in Spain as ‘some little things’ and does not reflect what Spain is. Well Mr. Prime Minister, lets take a quick look! First of all their is a former party treasurer of your own party, Luis Barcenas, who has been in custody since June 2013 and is trying to explain €23 million in a Swiss bank account and payments to PP politicians; then there is the long running Gürtel case which involves illicit activities related to PP party funding and the award of contracts by local/regional government in Valencia, the Community of Madrid and elsewhere - many millions!; the Brujal case in Orihuela where 35, including two former PP mayors, have been charged. And lets not forget the Socialists and trade unions in Andalucia. Whereas the PP seem adept at taking bribes and commissions, the left in Andalucia have been plundering public funds, first in relation to the ERE retirement/layoff scandal, believed to exceed €100 million, together with the unemployed training fund money, which for 30 years the unions and the Socialists have been diverting to other areas, and occasionally to their own pockets. But these are just some of the ‘little things’. 98% of the Spanish believe that corruption in Spain is institutionalised. The British Consulate and the Alicante Healthcare Team will be at various Iceland stores across the Costa Blanca. They will have a stand at the entrance to the stores in San Javier, Benidorm and Torrevieja with information about padrón, residencia, property, healthcare and how to keep in touch with the Embassy via social media. The dates are as follows: Iceland San Javier – Monday 3rd November from 11am-3pm; Iceland Benidorm – Wednesday 5th November from 11am-3pm and Iceland Torrevieja – Wednesday 12th November from 11am-3pm. November 1st is a ‘Red Day’ Todos Santos - All Saints’ Day. There will be no Dream Scene in January 2015. This is due to family commitments. The first of February issue will be distributed as normal and the subscription year will be extended to April 2015 so subscribers do not lose out. Thank you to Andy M. for the kind donation. Wishing you all a great month. Mick & Tid. PROPERTIES NOW REQUIRED FOR SALES AND RENTAL. CLIENTS WAITING. CHECK OUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE AND RANGE OF PROPERTIES AT - www.sangriaproperties.com Emails:[email protected] “Errol! When I said see to the pumpkin, Tel: 0034 966 772 553 I meant cut a face in it!” An insect just flew into my kitchen and exploded. I think it was a Jihaddy long legs. 2 TRANSLATOR & COMPUTER TRAINER If you find computers too complicated or need assistance DO YOU NEED in your everyday Spanish life, then, I’m your man! Computer training and translations are my speciality. I live AN ELECTRICIAN? in the Dreams Hills area. I’m originally from Spain, and have OR A PLUMBER? two years of experience as a translator, and many years ALSO GENERAL REPAIRS dealing with computers, since I have two computer-related PAINTING & MAINTENANCE college degrees from the US. BATHROOM & SHOWER-ROOM Please, let me know if you need any assistance with the CONVERSIONS. following: NO JOB TOO SMALL TRANSLATIONS COMPUTER TRAINING & NO JOB TOO BIG! •HOSPITALS / DOCTORS •WINDOWS XP, VISTA, 7 Lots of satisfied customers in this area. •POLICE REPORTS •MICROSOFT OFFICE References available. •OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS (WORD, EXCEL, POWER CALL ED ON (STAMPED) POINT, ACCESS, ETC.) 693 661 958 •UNOFFICIAL WRITTEN •INTERNET Very reasonable rates. TRANSLATIONS •EMAILING Did you know that ……. •NIE / RESIDENCIA •MESSENGER •PRINTER & SCANNER …India’s Mars mission was cheaper than the •DRIVING LICENCES movie Gravity. It cost just $74 million to send •COURT •SECURITY & ANTIVIRUS the Mangalyaan spacecraft to Mars, versus $100 •TOWN HALLS •VIRUS REMOVAL million to show Sandra Bullock in Earth orbit. •SCHOOL MEETINGS •PC CONFIGURATIONS …Cows hate cowbells. They are heavy and as loud as a jackhammer (cows have very sensitive CALL DAVID NOW hearing), and the animals eat less grass when they’re wearing them. See link - 689 416 103 http://qz.com/271458/cows-actually-really-hate- Your experienced native Spanish translator! cowbells/ Your experienced computer teacher! …El Corte Inglés is to promote British products. EMAIL: [email protected] That is at least until November 9. Among the WEB: http://torreviejatranslation.com/ categories being promoted are, mens’ and womens’ fashion, culture, and of course British FEELING HOT OR COLD? food. So, it’s hoodies and Pot Noodles then? …consumption of sugary soft drinks such as cola WE HAVE THE SOLUTION! and lemonade may be linked to accelerated DNA ageing, say researchers who have studied the impact of the drinks in more than 5,000 people. High-sugar fizzy drinks have been under fire AFFORDABLE from campaigners for contributing to obesity and type-2 diabetes, but this is the first study to AIR CON suggest a link with ageing. The researchers found that people who reported drinking a 350ml bottle ALL AIR CON SYSTEMS of fizzy drink per day had DNA changes typical HOT & COLD - SUPPLY & FIT of cells 4.6 years older. More here - OR INSTALLATION ONLY. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/ SERVICING, RE-GAS & REPAIRS oct/16/sugar-soft-drinks-dna-ageing-study ALL WORK CARRIED OUT BY A …the flu vaccination campaign is already CITY & GUILD’S QUALIFIED INSTALLER. underway in the Alicante province. Around MANY SATISFIED CLIENTS IN YOUR AREA. 300,000 ‘jabs’ are expected to be given. Apply Call Keith for a free quotation. for yours now! Tel: 965 326 163 & 649 584 493 …the companies on the Spanish IBEX 35 (bit like the FTSE 100) are in debt to the tune of €47 billion. It has also been revealed that it takes these companies 169 days to pay their suppliers; LOCKSMITH this is triple the legal limit. CERRAJEROS - SCHLOSSER LOCAL …10.3% of Gibraltar’s GDP comes from online gambling. But the Gib’ authorities are not very SEGURIDAD UNION happy at PM Cameron’s plan to put a 15% tax on profits made from clients in the United Kingdom, from November 1, 2014. …the FBI has a file on one in three Americans. And according to the Wall Street Journal, they're adding between 10,000 and 12,000 new names 607 493 118 per day. (Cut out & keep.) What’s Up? 3 The Constitutional Court has suspended the Catalan The extension to Barajas airport in Madrid has cost referendum. After little more than an hour of debate, an extra €400 million because of complications in the and with the agreement of all twelve magistrates, the court expropriations. The Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, decided to admit the two Government appeals against the has 145 contrary sentences against it changing the price Catalan Law of Consultations and the application of of the land. With an initial budget of 390 million for the article 161.2 in the Spanish Constitution which has led to expropriations, AENA will now have to pay 2.1 billion. the automatic suspension of both the law and the The price per square metre has gone from 15 € to 283 €. referendum for a period of five months. The Court has The public body says they will pay when the sentence responded to criticism from some parties and Artur Mas is firm and said that was why payments had been over the rapidity the process has taken, by saying there delayed. Some nuns have received 80 million € for a was no delay as the court is aware of the constitutional finca they received as a donation. and political significance of the submitted questions. The Government is to rescue the toll motorways from The President of Catalonia, Artur Mas, has announced bankruptcy with a 50% pardon of their debt. The cabinet that the region will stage a watered-down, unofficial expects to pay the creditors in 30 years with the income public consultation on the issue of independence from from the toll booths. Dream on! the rest of Spain on November 9th, a day after he scrapped Spaniards work nearly 300 more hours than Germans original plans for a November 9th referendum. in a year. A Spaniard works on average, 1,665 hours a All in all, Mas appears to be digging himself into a year according to 2013 figures, against 1,388 in deeper hole, pleasing neither the independence parties nor Germany and 1,489 in France, according to data from the parties loyal to Spain.